Support for Indigenous Australian arts and languages
A range of policies and Australia’s support the Indigenous arts and cultural sector, including support to for the maintenance of Australia’s Indigenous languages.
Through the Ministry for the arts, targeted support is provided to Indigenous-owned art centres and industry service organisations with the objective of building a stronger Indigenous visual arts industry. Indigenous-owned art centres produce and market some of Australia’s most dynamic visual art, while also building capacity, maintaining and transmitting culture and generating income and employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Art centres also provide a unique opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to maintain and develop professional arts practice, engage in ethical economic activity, develop skills and be part of the internationally renowned Indigenous visual arts industry.
Targeted funding is provided to Indigenous language centres to deliver projects and programs that support the maintenance, revival, and development of Indigenous languages. Projects can include digital new media activities that will result in innovative language learning and teaching resources. Funded projects range from support for a network of community-based Indigenous Language Centres, community language teams, documenting and recording languages, language research, the development of language resources, databases, and the promotion of languages in the wider community.
Indigenous art projects often involve multiple activities and art-forms, including workshops, traditional music or song cycles, contemporary music, storytelling, dance, arts or crafts, drama or theatre, radio, TV or film and design.